Feank gergens



(No Model.)

` F. GERGENS.

ICE MACHINE. No. 258,227. Ptented May 28, 1882.

UNrfrE` States FECQ FRANK Gnnenns, or BRooKLYN, Asslenou To ETIENNE Gier-nr, or NEW YORK, N. Y;

ICE-McHlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 258,227, dated May 23, 1,882.

` Application filed November 28, 188i. (No model.)

` To all whom it may concc'n:

Be it known that I, FANK GERGENs, of the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Ice-Machines, which is fully set forth in the following' specification.

This inventionhas reference to the machines for the artificial productionof cold, com monly known as ice-machines, wherein a volatile Io liquid or liquefiable gas is used as the refrigcrating agent or refrigerant, and the cold is produced by the volatilization and expansion of the refrigerant which has been' reduced to liquid form by. the action of pressure aided by a .cooling medium. A vacuum or reduction of pressure being made above the liquid refrigcrant, the latter volatilizes and expands, absorbing the heat from the surrounding material. The present inventon has reference to the zo method and means for creating this vacuum, and for producing the pressure required for liquefaction. Heretofore there have bcen two modes of accomplishingthis result: First, as in the machines using liquor' amlnonite or solution of ammonia in water, the vacuuin has been created by the absorption or dissolution of the refrigerant (am monia) in a material water) for which it has great afiinity, and in which the Vapors are absorbedor dissolved as fast as they are given off, and the pressure required for 'liquefaction has been produced by the expulsion of the refrigei'ant from its absorbent or solvent by heat; sc'condly, as iu the ma-` chines using methylic ether, anhydrons ammonia, sulphurous dioxide or a binary liquid of sulphurous dioxide or ammonia, and sulphuric ether, the vacuum has been created and the pressure produced 'by aspiration and coini pression pumps. g

' In the present invention the vacuum is createdand the pressure produced by the action of an injector. The inlettto said injector is connected with the interior of the refrigeratoror v'essel wherein therefrigerant is Vola-tilized,`

and the Outlet with the interior of the convdenser or vessel wherein it is again reduced to a liquid. The jet of gas or vapor to operate theinjector is derived from heating a small portion of the liquefied retri'gerant from the condenser. The boiler is fed with this liquid preferably by means of an injcctor independent of the first. The use of pumps is thus avoided without requiring from the refrigerant any solvent or carrier, such as the water iu the liquor-ammonize machine, and consequently without requiring' any absorber wherein the absorption may take place.

Thediliiculties due to theuseofpumpsin connection with the corroding' agents c-ommonly employed as refrigerants, as well as those encountered with the liquor-arnmoni machine, or machines working on the same principle, are too well known to require mention. `4By the present invention they are entirely or to a greatextentovercome. Moreover, the expense of the pumps, the noise attending their operation, as well as the care, constant watchfulness, and labor necessitated in theirl supervision, are done away with., The apparatus needed is reduced to its simplest, most compact, economical, and. durable form.

In order that the invcntion` may be fully undcrstood, an ice-machine constructcd in` accordance thcrewith is represented in the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification. A view in Vertical section andelevation is shown.

A is the refrigerator; B, the eondenser; G, the boiler, and D E the two injectors. These apparatus may be of any ordinary or suitable construction. As shown, the refrigerator A v consists ot' a horizonqtal vessel, a., with numerf ous tubes extending' from end to end, and a tank, b, which contains a nonzcongealable liq' uid having' free circulation through the tubes. of the aforesaid vessel a, and in which also are placed'cans c for holding the water to be frozen.

The condenser consists of a horizontal vessel`` divided into three compartments, (Z ef, and provided with a system of tubes extending 9o through the intermediate com partment, e, and

connecting the end compartments with each other; and the boiler is an uprighttubular one of an ordinary type. The refrigerator is provided with a vacuum-gage, F, and the boiler and condenser with pressure-gages G H, and the boiler also with the level-indicator I.

The interioriof' the vessel a is connected at i the top with the inlet of the injector D bya pipe, g, provided with regulating-cock, and at the bottom with the lower part of the compartment e of the condenser by a pipe, h, also provided with a suitable cock. The outlet of the injector I) is connected by the pipe t' with the upper part of the condenser. The injector D is also connected with the upper part of the central chamber, k, of the boiler O by a pipe, l, provided with a suitable cocl, through which pipe the jet or gas under pressure is supplied to operate the said injector.

From the pipe h a branch pipe, m, leads to the boiler O, and in this pipe the iujector E is placed. i It is supplied by the branch n from the pipe l, and feeds a small portion of the liquid refrigerant from the condenser into the boiler to supply the evaporation.

As shown, the boiler is heated by steam, p being the inlet and q the outlet or drip pipe, whencethe steam escapes in a eondensed state. Auy other suitable means ofA heating the refrigerant in the boiler to generate the required pressure could be used.

The condenser is kept cool by a circulation Vof Water or other coolin g medium, being the inlet, and s the outlet.

In operation the refrigeraut is vol-atilized by reduction of pressure in the vessel a, loweriug the temperature of the surrounding non-congealable liquid, which, circulating around the cans, lowers their temperature and freczes the water in them. The volatilized refrigerant ascends the pipe g to the injector D, wherein it meets the jet from the boiler O, and with the material of said jet passes into the compartment e of the condenser B, where, under the influence of the pressure due to the jet and the cooling action of the water or other eirculating medium,it is reduced to aliquid. From the condenser the main portion of the refiigerant flows through the pipe h into the vessel. a of the refrigerator A, to be again volatilized, while a small portion passes through the branch m, and is fed by theinjectorEinto the boiler O.

The circulation of the refrigerant as well between the boiler and injectors as between the injectors, condenser, and refrigerator is regulated by the eooks, as is also the circulation of the cooling medium in the condenser and of the heating medium in the boiler.

The apparatus shown is adapted to the use of a simple refrigerant or of a compound '(binary) liquid,iu which both component parts are volatile-such as the ethero-sulphurous dioxide described in Letters Patent No. 224,246, granted to Du Motay and Rossi February 3, 1880.

If it is desired to use a binary liquid wherein one eomponentis non-Volatile, as described in Letters Patent No. 236,843, Rossi and Beck- With, January 18, 1881, means must be used to insure the circulation of thev non-volatile component between the condenser, refrigerator, and boiler. In using these binary liquids the volatileor when both are volatile the more volatile-eomponeut is absorbed in theV other; but the latter acts altogether different from the water in the liquor-ammoniaeJ maehines. lIt assists iu the liquefaction of said volatile or more volatile component preparatory to its revolatilization in the refrigerator, instead of serving to carry the refrigerant into the boiler, to be thence expelled and compressed iu the condenser, and the absorption takes place in' the condenser itself, instead of reqniring an independent absorber with the boiler between. It is obvious, however, that in using binary liqnids ot' the kinds indicated under this invention the non-volatile or less volatile component would perform both 'ro1es, the condenser having a double operationto wit, as a condenser to the refrigerator and an absorber to the boiler.l It is obvions, also, that the vessel could-be divided and one part used as a condenser to the refrigerator and the other as au absorber or condenser to the boiler, and that other moditications could, be made.

An injeetor supplied with a jet from the boiler could be placed between the refrigerator and absorber ot' a liquor-ammoni machine, or machine Operating on the same principle, in order to assist in creating a vacuum in the refrigcrator, and thereby effecting the volatilization of the liquetied refrigerant, and in order also to produce pressure in the absorber, thereby aiding in producing the liquefaetion by absorption of the volatilized refrigerant. It could also be used in machines operated by eompressed air, or by other gas which is simply condensed, not liquetied, in the machine, and which produees cold by simple expansion, instead of. volatilizat-ion and eXpan-- sion; but the same advantages would not acerue as in machines wherein the refrigerant is alternately liquefied and volatilized.

A number of injectors arranged to supplement the action one of another could be used, instead of a single one, if desired.

It may be here observed that heretofore an injector apparatus has been connected with a ret'rigerator iu which anhydrous ammonia is volatilized, a vessel containing water, and a re- 'ceptacle for the liquor aminoniae made by the absorption of the ammonia in water; but this injector apparatus has a verydifferent function from the injector D in the present invention, and the machine as a whole is essentially unlike that herein described. The inletTof the injeetor apparatus is connected with the watervessel instead ot' with the refrigerator, and the nozzle orjet opening with the refrigerator instead of with a reservoir of fluid under pressure, such as the boiler O. The injector in the old machine is, therefore, simply a mixing or absorbing device, the energy of the expandiug amnionia servingpto draw the 'water from its vessel and force it as liquor am'moniae into its receptacle, whereas in the present invention the energy to operate the machine is de IOO IIO

IIS

rived from the pressure of fluid in the boiler, which is greater than that of the expanding refrigerant in the refrigerator, and draws off the latter, thus producing an exhaustion in the refrigerator and a-eompression in the condenser by the action of the jet of fluid under pressure. It is obvious that a feed-pump could be use oto supply the liquid or liquefied refrigerant to the boiler, if desred.

Having' now fully described my'said invention and the manner of carrying the same into effect, what I claim is- 1. The improvement in the artifieial production of cold, consisting in aidng or effecting the Volatilization or expansion of the liquefied or condensed refrigera-nt by makingavacuum or reductionot' pressure above it through the action of ajet in au injector, substantially as deseribed.

2. The improvement consisting in aiding or efeeting the alternate volatilization or expansion and liguefaetion or eondensation of the refrigerant through the action of an injector, substantially as deseribed.

3. The improvement consisting in creating, by means of an injeetor, a vacuum above the liquefied or eondensed refrigerant in the refrigerator, in produeing, also, by'means of an injector, pressure upon the volatilizedor expanded'refrigerant in the' condenser of an ice-machine, and in eonducting the liquefied or condensed refrigerantfrom said condenser to said i. rel'rigerator, the volatilization or expansion,

iso

liquefaction or eondensation, and return of the refrig'erant being effected successvelyan d con'- tinuously, substantially as deseribed.

4. In an ice-machine Operating by the alternate volatilization and liquel'action of the refrigerant, the improvement consisting in aidiugl or effeeting the liquefaction of the said refrigerant by ajet acting through an injector, substantiall y as deseribed.

5. The improve'mentin the artiticial production of cold, eonsisting in heating a portion of the liquefied or condensed rel'rigerant so as to bring the same under pressure, supplying a jet of said refrig'erant to an injeetor, and thereby aiding or effecting` the volatilization or expansiou of the liquefied or condensed refrigerant, and also the liquefaction or eondensation of the-volatilized or expanded refrigerant, or either of said Operations of volatilization and liquefaetion, substantially as deseribed.

6. The improvementin ice-machines consisting in heating in a boiler a liquefied or condensed refrgerant to bring the same under pressure, supplying ajet of said heated material to an injector, so as to create a vaeuum in the refrigerator, and thus to volatilizev or expand the liquid or condensed refrigerant therein, foreing the volatilized or expanded refrigerant by the action of said jet, together with the material composing the latter, into a condenser, Wherein the refrigerant is liquefied or condensed by the pressure, aided by a eooling medium, and supplying the liquefied or condensed material to said refrigerator and to said boiler, substantially as deseribed.

7. The combination of the refrigerator, injector, and boiler, the injeetor having its inlet connected with said-refrigerator and being supplied from said boiler, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the refrigerator, injector, boiler, and condenser, the said injector having its inlct connected with the refrigerator and its Outlet with the condenser, substantially as deseribed. 'a

9. The combination, with, the refrigerator of an ice-machine, of an injector having its inlet connected with said refrigerator, and means, asindicated,for supplying ajet to said injector, so as to produce a vacuum or reduction ot' pressure iu said refrigerator, substantially as deseribed.

10. The combination, with the condenser of an ice-machine, of an injector having its outlet connected with said condenser, and means, as indicated, for supplying a jet to 'said injeetor, so as to force the refrigerant into said condenser, substantially a-s deseribed.

11. The combination, With the refrigerator and condenser of an ice-machine, of an injector having its inlet connected with the refrigerator and its outlet with the condenser, and means for supplying a jet to said injeetor, s'o as to Withdraw the refrigerant from the refrigerator and force it into said condenser, snbstantially as deseribed.

12. AThe combination of the refrigerator, injector, condenser, and return-pipes, substantially as deseribed.

13. The combination of the boiler, refrigerator, injeetor, condenser, and return pipes, substantially as deseribed.

14. The combination of the boiler, refrigerator, injeetor, condenser, return-pipes, and contrivance connected with the return-pipe to the boiler, substantially as deseribed.

` In testimony whereotl I havesigned this specification in the presence of two subseribing witnesses.

F. GERGENS.

Witnesses:

M. D. L. LEE, JOHN MGQLURE.

IOO

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